Originally constructed in 1888, the Bayview Opera House and Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre has served as a cultural hub for the Bayview Hunters Point community for well over a century. Upgrades and improvements -- designed to unify the existing site and enhance community arts and education programming -- feature a new contemporary entrance to the historic Newcomb Street facade and an expanded plaza with outdoor stage and accessible walkways throughout. Inside, enhancements include new public restrooms, access to the main stage, and structural upgrades to the auditorium balcony. An extensive community engagement process strengthens the long term relevance and sustainability of the project to its neighborhood.

“We look at this space not as just a community center, but it’s actually a vessel; a vessel that carries the memories not only of the existing community [and] the past community, but the future community”